Secret Lives, Secret Intentions
by snapescookiejar
Summary: An alcoholic Severus Snape is forced to tutor a depressed Harry Potter.


Secret Lives, Secret Intentions By snapescookiejar  
  
Summary: An alcoholic Severus Snapes is forced to tutor a depressed Harry Potter. Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Severus Snape, or the wonderful world they both live in. If only I could live in that world, I wouldn't be depressed.  
  
Chapter 1: Bright Green Eyes and Sulking Men  
  
Dark and tall, a castle stands in the distance, accented against fog infused mountains. Towering over a murky lake, whose shores are a gloomy grey. A lone figure stands on the tallest tower, eyes dark as the night sky, skin as pale as the moon. His long, jet-black hair tousled in the strong wind. A bottle of scotch and stout glass lay before him, untouched. As pensive as his eye's look, his lips are curled into a sneer. He turns to the south as a crimson train breaks through the mist. The grim man raises his glass to his still sneering lips and drains it in one swallow. On this lone tower, he is but a shadow, hidden among black. But as he descends stairs upon stairs, this shadow forms the man known a Professor Severus Snape.  
  
"Good evening, Severus," a frail old man speaks, "I trust your summer went well?"  
"I understand that hiding in a dungeon for two months would drive a man to insanity," Severus spits, "but I find comfort in gloom. Although my stock of scotch ran short rather quickly." He glares at the old man now, who only smiles, eyes twinkling, and turns to the grand doors ahead. Not two seconds later do they swing open and a swarm of children in robes of black enter the huge dinning hall.  
One in particular catches the professor's eye. Bright green eyes behind round spectacles stare into his own dark ones, only to pull away just as fast. As soon as they are seated, a group of younger students enter accompanied by a teacher, Professor Minerva McGonagall. Whilst the sorting ceremony began, Severus roams his eyes over the newer, younger pupils. Disgusted with their fear, he turns to the other students, all bored with the ceremony. He easily finds the green eyes which stared at him not moments before. The eyes belonged to a pail boy, whose dark, ruffled hair tempted to hide his eyes. Dark circles surrounded those tired eyes, nightmares. The events of the Triwizard Tournament the year before would give anyone nightmares. But the one thing that truly caught the professor's eye was the boy's body. He had grown thin over the summer. Hunched over in his seat, his back bones where visible through his robes. On either side of him sat a bushy-haired girl and a boy with flame-red hair. Both were whispering to him with concerned looks of their faces, attempting to get him to eat the food that had magically appeared on all four tables. He picked at it, only really eating a few bites. Even as the deserts appeared, he didn't even look at the temping foods. As the feast ended, he sulked out the door, and up the stairs, surrounded by happy students.  
"Sir," Severus started, "Mr. Potter."  
"Yes. I saw."  
  
"Harry, you barely ate anything at dinner. Don't think I wouldn't notice. Is something wrong?"  
"I'm fine, Ron, really."  
"You don't look it. Your skin and bones!"  
"I'm just. I'm. not hungry lately, that's all."  
"Harry."  
"I'm fine! Really. I'm going to bed now."  
'You are not fine, Harry.'  
  
"First years!" Severus grunted to himself, "Bloody waste of time if you ask me." Although torturing them until they shook was one of his favorite sports, he still hated teaching them. After an hour of torturing the little ones, and a full day of taking points from the older lot, Severus retired to his quarters. Digging out a bottle of scotch and a glass from his cabinets, he settled into an uncomfortable chair and absorbed the silence. Two glasses later and slumped in his chair, a whooshing sound, accompanied by the frail man, Albus Dumbledor, erupts from the fireplace. Severus groans and moves to hide his drink.  
"No need, Severus. I won't be long"  
Severus snorts. When have his visits ever been short?  
Albus speaks again, "I've talked to Harry Potter." Severus sits up. "And it comes to my attention that he doesn't eat, nor sleep. He will not tell me what is wrong and I have no intention of forcing it out of him. None of his summer homework has been completed, either. His scores are lower than they were last term. Something is troubling him, and I mean to find out, or simply give him a small push in the right direction." At this, Albus winks.  
"And what, sir, does this have to do with me? I have no interest in this boy, what-so-ever." Not entirely true, Severus thinks to himself, I have always had a fascination for his ruthless courage.  
"Oh, it has everything to do with you, Professor Snape," Albus' eyes twinkle in the dim light, "you, my friend, will tutor young mister Harry Potter."  
  
TBC  
  
Please leave a review, it would be greatly appreciated. I will write the next chapter as soon as I figure out where this is going. Please feel free to ask questions (in the form of a review and I will e-mail you back!). And read my other story, Angel Clad in Black, it's a ficlet. =) Update on the way!  
  
Snapescookiejar 


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